A Friend's Understanding
by Skoellya Seyth
Summary: A discussion between Batman and a very good friend, not Alfred, sheds some insight into why Batman drove Robin to the Titans. It’s a short piece but please take the time to R & R thx.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Is that going to make anyone feel better?**

**Summary: It's difficult to explain. A discussion between Batman and a very good friend (not Alfred) sheds some insight into why Batman drove Robin away. It's a short piece but please take the time to R & R**

**Not my most light-hearted fiction. Beware of some angst. Dick Grayson is Robin. 'nuff said.

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'I didn't want anything to happen to him,' Batman said not turning to his companion.

'Well that's stupid,' the man said bluntly. Batman turned and gave the man an icy glare. The man however was unconcerned. 'You can't stop anything happening to him, you know. You can't control what the world has in store.'

'I know.' Batman muttered turning back to survey Gotham from his position by the gargoyle.

'Do you?' The man said quietly.

'What do you-?' Batman narrowed his eyes.

'You want to keep Dick safe- I understand that- but think about it Bruce. The world nearly ends every other month, he could die then.'

'We work to stop that.' Batman replied gruffly, and then after a moment's deliberation and quick glance around 'not Bruce here.'

The other man smiled. He was always business. It was infuriating sometimes but at the moment it was just another amusing habit of Bruce's he had gotten used to. 'Fine. That's our jobs. That helps keep him safe. But tell me Batman, can you keep him from being hit by a car? Having a motorbike accident? He might even get ill. We _all_ do sometimes. Controlling what he does won't change those risks.'

'I won't risk putting him in any more danger than necessary,' the no-nonsense tone was barely recognized with a wry grimace.

'He's been hurt enough times in his life, sure. To last several lifetimes in fact' the man agreed vaguely for a moment. Batman didn't object. It was his fault for taking him into those battles. Eyeing Batman carefully the man immediately combated this point. '_Bruce_, the emotional blows hurt far more than any of the other times. The worst thing you feel is losing his parents, you weren't physically injured yet it was the most painful experience you had… but what if you felt they shut you out deliberately? What if you cared about them and you thought they abandoned you?'

Bruce reddened angrily beneath the cowl 'They wouldn't-'

'I know,' the man said gently. 'They wouldn't. I wasn't suggesting that. You know you're Dick's surrogate father, don't you?' He took the silence to be a yes. He's always been a daredevil, if some of the things Alfred's told me are true… did he really climb into the tiger den at the zoo because he said that they used to be with his circus?' He caught Bruce's small smile playing at his lips and said with amusement 'Thought so.' He grew serious again. 'Bruce, you tried to take away something that meant a lot to him, that you had trained him for years to become. I understand your reasons, but I'm betting that he doesn't know you were trying to protect him. He thinks you abandoned him. That he wasn't good enough to be your partner.'

'What? But he knows…' _He knows I care._ Batman thought to himself. _Doesn't he? _He remembered those last God-awful words that they had said to each other; maybe these ideas weren't so wrong after all.

'He is still a kid; remember that they have the right to be irrational.' Batman grunted at the man still watching him intently. 'Although you know he makes more sense than you do sometimes.'

Batman raised an eyebrow and met the man's eyes.

'He would have got himself in worse trouble without your training Bruce, never forget that. You took him out of the detention centre in time to make sure he didn't think the system had failed him. You took him in, trained him to help people, you made him swear an oath, but don't you realise you'd be forcing him to break it? You made him think he wasn't good enough to uphold it. He became Robin to help people in the unique way he can. Even you can't do that quadruple flip of his. He's like you in so many ways, but he's not… the same.' The man struggled to find the words. 'He told me Robin was his nickname from his mother. That's not an identity he can cut himself off from, like Batman or Bruce Wayne. If he would choose to forget it and become plain Dick Grayson it would be denying something else his parents gave him. He needs to fight for the right cause instead of for the sake of bitterness.'

There was a long silence as Batman struggled to deal with the concepts the man sighed impatiently. 'I'm not going to keep a monologue running all night.'

'I…' He wanted to speak but the words never seemed to come. _What had he done?_ The man understood though, apparently the single letter was enough for him. He squeezed Batman gently on the shoulder.

'Go talk to him.' He said softly before he floated into the Gotham air, the cape drifting lightly in the breeze.

'Thank you Clark.' It was barely a whisper but Batman knew Superman had heard it. He nodded once in reply and flew away leisurely in the direction of Metropolis. Bruce looked at the communicator in his hand and took a slow breath. He set the receiver to dial Titans Tower. Attempting to keep his voice level as he heard the familiar voice on the other end of the line answer snappishly he said simply. 'Robin.'

There was a silence on the other end of the line for almost a minute before he heard a very small and vulnerable voice reply. 'Batman?'

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**Hope you like. If there are any errors I'm wrote this at one a.m. in the morning in less than half an hour. A little more angst than I'd thought it would be but…**

**I'm basing this a little on the comic world and I am a very strong believer in Dick Grayson as Robin. Superman is often known as the closest person Batman has as a best friend or even brother as he considers Robin very much to be like a nephew. This is my explanation for how he knows a lot about their past.**

**This is intended to be a one shot but if I get enough reviews I may continue with the theme. Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, thank you to everyone who enjoyed this story and let me know. This is a small extension, originally this was going to be a Teen Titans version with the cartoon characters but I realised this was laden with continuity so I transferred it. It's a might-have-been story. I try to keep as close to the characters as I can.**

**Disclaimer: I don't even own my hat. I nicked it from my big sister ;)

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'Robin.' Batman's voice came clear through the communicator and Robin stared at it for a few moments in shock. Holy… what was Bruce doing? He glanced up at the other Titans, and backed away quickly to his room before processing at light speed the possible motives Batman might have for calling.

Was there any trouble with the Joker again? Was he in trouble? What did he know about? Why did he want to talk? He had made it clear last time he'd wanted nothing to do with him. What made him change his mind? It must have been something drastic but if he was calling to check up, why now? Why after so long did it have to be now? He had finally put some of their past behind him, he didn't have so many nightmares anymore that would make him cry out and he _never_ woke the other titans on the rarer occasion when he did, but why did Bruce have to bring those back to the surface?

Dick felt raw and felt his throat dry. God, he hadn't know he still cared so much, but Bruce hadn't wanted him anymore. At least Robin had_ thought_ he hadn't. He realised he hadn't spoken yet, so he asked quietly, as if unsure this was really happening 'Batman?'

'How are you…?' Batman spoke tentatively while Robin's amazement grew. He swallowed attempting to get some moisture back into his voice.

'Uh… ok.' There was a pause and Robin asked quickly 'you?'

'Fine.' He answered impatiently, reluctant to think about himself at all. 'Look, Dick I-'

'I'm sorry.' Robin blurted it out as fast as he could 'I didn't mean anything I said and-'

'Richard,' Batman growled over the communicator to a stunned Robin. Bruce couldn't believe it himself. Dick had gone all this time thinking it was his fault when _he_ was the adult responsible for him, who had ultimately driven him away when Robin still needed him as much as ever. He'd been too blinded by self pity. Batman put on his commanding voice, to reinforce the point, a voice he knew Dick wouldn't ignore 'It was not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have over-reacted; I made everything worse.'

Robin nodded meekly forgetting for a moment that his surrogate father couldn't see him, although it seemed Batman anticipated that as he continued in a soft voice 'I want you to know you are always welcome at the manor, Dick.'

'Thanks Bruce.' Batman barely heard the reply, and he felt a stab of pain as he realised how much Dick had been hurting and how he should have been there and should be there now, if his adoptive son would let him. There was another awkward pause.

'Alfred misses you at the manor, so does Barbara' Bruce informed him, hoping Dick caught the invitation. _He should. He had trained him_, a small part of Bruce thought dryly.

Robin felt an honest smile creep up on his face as he answered 'I can come by on Wednesday, if no ones busy…'

Bruce had several "important" meetings and functions to attend but they could be changed, moved, cancelled. No where near on the top of his list of priorities. Not when it came to his ward, his… son. He even would have to postpone investigating the latest whereabouts of the Penguin. Or maybe Robin would help. He might stay long enough. Adjusting his voice Bruce replied gruffly before finishing the conversation, 'See you then.'

Dick looked at the communicator in his hands before looking up at Kory and Vic who were hovering at his bedroom door. He bit his lip and turned away afraid to speak for a moment he recollected his voice and began issuing orders 'Vic I need you to take the reigns this Wednesday, possibly until Friday, I'll be out of town for a few days.'

'Sure thing man, but where're you going?' Vic couldn't hold back on his curiosity, their mysterious leader still held so many secrets.

'Home,' Robin told him softly, 'I'm going home.'

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'How did it go, Bruce?' Batman looked at his friend wryly, but turned away to hide a small smile.

'Clark.' The tone was no-nonsense but Superman hoped he was being teased. Bruce didn't seem to be in a bad mood. The man of steel had learnt to judge how his friend was feeling merely by the subtle inclinations of his head or whether he had stooped his shoulders. The maintenance of their friendship cost a lot of time and effort, but it was worth it for the rare moments Bruce allowed him to see the raw compassion and deep caring that he was so desperate to hide from the world. It had a tendency to help Clark always renew his hope in people, that despite everything, deep down, people always had good in them. And love.

They were standing in the observation platform of the watchtower, both admiring the view of their home planet. Although given the chance Bruce would most likely deny any such involvement. Clark moved next to Batman and half thought about patting him on the back before deciding against it. He didn't want to be impaled on kryptonite thank you very much. He concluded it was probably best for Bruce to continue the conversation.

'He came to Gotham yesterday.' Batman stated, glancing at the blue Boy Scout.

'Staying long?' Clark tried to take on a conversational tone.

'A couple of days,' Bruce sounded disappointed, with his hearing he detected the ever so slight wavering of his voice, but still happier than Clark had seen him in a long time.

'It's a start.' Clark then realised if Robin was at the manor and Bruce was here then… He was on the verge of being horrified. 'What are you doing here, Bruce? You have an argument already?'

'No. It's fine, really.' Clark was momentarily embarrassed until Batman cleared his throat and glanced at Superman slyly. 'I was delivering an invitation from Alfred for dinner.'

'Oh.' Clark blinked in surprise then seeing Bruce's expectant and slightly bemused expression- he must really be showing his shock- he graciously and rather nervously accepted.

'He felt it would be appropriate as you are a… _friend_ … and Robin still has a tremendous amount of respect for you Clark.' Bruce breathed in deeply, preparing himself 'So do I'

_And I think Dick's Superman pyjamas are still in a cupboard somewhere…_Bruce thought to himself sardonically as he made his way back to the Transporter room, with an awkwardly grinning Superman flying beside him.

Slowly Bruce allowed himself to smile.

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**There you go. I think I'm finished with this one now but I might write a longer story entailing these characters in their present continuity. Let me know what you think! And a thank you to all my gracious reviewers!**

**Yourperfectdisaste**r – _I am really happy you enjoy my work, thanks for reviewing this one and all my other stories._

**Arica, Princess of Rivendell** – _Here's my update for you!_

**The Almighty Panamint** – _Hey I'm really glad you like this and I hope you like the update, let me know what you think.  
_

**inuyasharbd15fan09** – _It's an angsty story for me if you've read my other fics. Some get a little silly. Being weird is fine… my friends call me weird a lot. Only because I accidentally forgot my television remote was in my college bag… (it's a completely true story) It did feel like a one shot but I thought I wanted to add a little companion chapter to write about the outcome._

**nightwingwolverine fanatic** – _I don't know enough about the other character's origins to write companion pieces like that but I am very happy you enjoyed this, thanks for the compliments, means loads to me._

**By the way, the Superman Pyjamas line is a shy dedication to all those great Batman and Nightwing writers out there who manage to get the characters and the story just right. **


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